Half a Child Left Behind: SAT Scores Show 55% of HS Graduates are Not Ready for College

Despite the seemingly constant emphasis politicians put on education, United States high school students are performing worse than they have in decades. According to the College Board’s latest release of SAT scores, there haven’t been lower average scores since 1972.

The College Board predicts that those with scores under 1500 points will not be sufficiently prepared for college to be able to earn a B- average. The significance of the B- grade is that it predicts whether a student will go on to complete his or her college education and get a diploma. Those with lower grades tend to drop out before completion.

Importance of SAT Scores

The SAT measures readiness in four areas: English, math, reading and science. Twenty-eight percent of students failed to hit any benchmarks, 15 percent only met one and 17 percent met two of the four. Students who passed all four benchmarks have a much higher chance of doing well with higher education.

According to the College Board, the reason for the decline in scores is based on an influx of first generation immigrants as well as an increase in the amount of low-income students. While scores decreased among everyone except Asians, there are some nationalities that are faring worse than others. Seventy-seven percent of Latinos, for example, were found to be unready for college.

How Should Students Prepare?

Thanks to the College Board’s report, it is clear that steps must be taken to improve SAT scores and overall college readiness. One way to do this is to hire an SAT tutor at Study Point or another college preparation service. Tutoring can prepare students for the types of questions asked on the SAT and bring students up to speed in areas where they lack knowledge or skills. Many high schools offer programs or classes devoted to SAT and ACT preparation, so it’s worth checking with your school before looking at other solutions.

Of course, merely cramming for the SAT test isn’t an effective solution to the problems low scores can point out. Instead, students should work with tutors to gain a true understanding of the subject material. Many find that this is much easier when they make use of tutors because a tutor can devote individualized attention to problem areas.

Another benefit of tutors is the possibility of finding someone who can speak the student’s native language if English is not their first. Many times, poor school performance is a result of not being able to understand what a teacher is saying. Bridging this gap through tutelage and extra help with the English language can do wonders to improve scores on standardized tests in the United States. Extra English lessons should be on the agenda of any immigrant who is having trouble understanding the test’s language.

Ensuring Students’ Futures

Doing well on the SAT doesn’t just predict a student’s possibility of success in higher education. Many colleges have minimum score requirements for admission as well. Without good SAT scores, a student may never have a chance to see how he or she would do at a preferred school. For this reason, some may want to use an SAT even if their scores are already above the benchmark. Making those scores even better will open doors at prestigious universities that would otherwise be closed.

Whether students need help just passing the SAT or want to improve an already passing score, individualized tutelage is a great way to attain the goal. Improved understanding of problematic subjects will help with the classes that are to come as well as the SAT itself.

Greg DunnFrom New Hampshire, Greg owes his love of language and reading to his mother, a school teacher who taught him how to say curse words in 15 languages.